


Crown United

by Yammers



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV), game of thrones
Genre: F/F, F/M, Game of Thrones - Freeform, Romance, TW/mentions of rape, War, Westeros, daenerys - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-01-28 22:44:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21399862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yammers/pseuds/Yammers
Summary: The concept? This man has the ability to jump through space and time, so he jumps to Westeros with guns and other modern weapons to secure the iron throne. Some time passes and Dany comes for her Throne. Can they compromise or do they destroy each other?
Relationships: Daenerys Targaryen/ OC, Grey Worm/Missandei, Sansa Stark/ OC, minor Daenerys Targaryen/Jon Snow
Kudos: 8





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave feedback and read the note at the end.

The gates lowered. Emmanuel walked out alone to meet Tyrion Lannister halfway between the walls of King’s Landing and an army of eight thousand unsullied. 

Tyrion started to rattle off his little spiel, but Emmanuel silenced him with a wave. “Tyrion Lannister, tell your queen that if she wishes to treat with me she should speak to me herself. I didn’t send my Hand out here to speak for me. Neither should she.”

“Emmanuel, the queen-,” 

“Tell her to treat with me or she’ll never have her throne. I’ll wait here.”

Manny turned around and waved a boy down from the battlements. He brought two chairs with him. Emmanuel sat in one while the boy placed another squarely in front of him. He stared as Tyrion waddled back to Her Grace to deliver the message. Her advisers seemed to whisper amongst themselves before she broke away from their huddle and strode towards the seated man. Three figures dove from the sky. The mother of dragons brought her children along for the adventure. 

Manny had no intention of hurting her, but he could appreciate the precautions she’d taken. Daenerys approached and Manny rose to allow her to sit first. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Daenerys.”

“I prefer ‘Your Grace,’” Dany deadpanned. 

“You’ll be ‘Your Grace’ if I give you the throne.” Daenerys cocked an eyebrow at him and smirked. 

“If?”

“I’m not against you ruling Westeros. I do disagree with your philosophy that you’re entitled to it because it was your daddy’s, though.” 

She just glowered and shot back, “And what philosophy justifies your claim to the throne.” 

He sat back and sneered. “The one that says Westeros is better off since I’ve become King.”

“If you feel that way, why would you consider giving me the throne?”

Emmanuel glanced passed her at the thousands of unsullied and dothraki that followed her across an ocean to win her crown back.

“I feel our intentions aren’t much different from one another’s. You don’t want the crown just because it’s supposedly yours. You want to do good. You want to right wrongs.”

“You’re right. Which is why I’m going to take what’s mine and let you leave with your life.”

Manny snickered. “I’m sorry. It’s just been so long since someone threatened to kill me, I forgot what to do with myself.” He took a moment to settle down and recompose himself. “Okay, I have a proposition for you. I’ll let you have the throne and be the figurehead of the crown, but you must agree to co-rule with me.”

It was Dany’s turn to laugh. Hers was genuine and guttural as if she hadn’t had one in years. “You want me to be your wife!?” Her laughter continued until she finally had to catch her breath. “The usurper thinks I’ve come all this way to become someone’s wife. You can’t be that stupid.”

Manny’s face remained dead serious. “I’m not asking you to be my wife. I’m asking you to be a second King. Not second to me, but my equal.” 

Dany was getting progressively more annoyed. “What’s to stop me from burning you and your men to ash and taking the crown for myself?”

“Nothing, but I don’t think you’d bring yourself to do it. You’d have to kill thousands of innocent people as well as take away the one hope all of Westeros had at a better life. Even if I were to cede the crown to you, you’d have men streaming to the capital to storm the red keep and leave with your head. That’s within the first week of your rule. That’s not optimal for either of us.”

“I’d rather go to war and win it fair and square.” 

“I’m not fighting you Daenerys. Not here. Not on a battlefield. Your choices are to massacre me and this entire city’s inhabitants or accept my offer.” 

Dany’s jaw locked and her gaze grew intense. “What do you stand to gain?”

“We could do some great things together Dany. We’ve already proven that separately. Let’s collaborate.” 

Her expression was unreadable. Not even her eyes dared give way to her thoughts. Dany stood and walked to her children. She mounted Drogon and they all launched into the air leaving her armies and advisers behind. Tyrion approached again. “What did you say to her?” Manny gawked as she rose higher and higher into the sky. “I told her the throne was hers.”


	2. Terms & Agreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can Dany & Emmanuel come to an agreement?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments & feedback.

A week had passed before Daenerys returned. Once again, the Unsullied, Dothraki, and her advisers stood outside the gates of King’s Landing. Daenerys and Emmanuel met between their two factions. She sat and began, “What are your terms?” 

Manny smiled and relaxed into his chair. “The two of us will rule as one. Our titles and power will be equal, but we must counsel with each other on all major decisions. Your title will be King, not Queen, to drive home the point with our subjects. We’ll hold court together, we’ll fight together, rule together. Should we reach a stalemate on how to proceed on certain matters, the King’s council will break the tie. The council will be comprised of our two Hands, both of our choices in two advisers, and three neutral advisers.”

Dany’s eyebrows knit together. “And you expect the lords and ladies of Westeros to just accept that. Never has the kingship been shared and certainly not by a woman and a foreigner.” 

“Who would oppose us? The North is behind me, not that I need them, but they trust me nonetheless. You have 16,000 of the best warriors in Westeros at your back. I have weapons of mass destruction and powers of which no one knows their limits. You have three dragons that would terrorize Westeros for a century if something happened to you.” 

Dany liked what she heard, but still wasn’t content. “You have a point, but we need to set some boundaries.” Now it was Manny’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “I’m listening.” Dany straightened up and crossed her legs. 

“For one, I want your total commitment to freeing slaves. I won’t rest until every man, woman, and child is freed from their shackles. You will fall in line with whatever punishment I deem fit for the masters. I’ve learned from my mistakes in the bay and know how best to go about it. Another thing, you will take an oath that there will be complete and total transparency between the two of us. If we’re to rule together, we shouldn’t betray each other’s confidence. Most importantly, do not expect anything more than the terms we agree to right now. I am not your whore, I am not your maid, and I am not your wife. Don’t expect subservience. I am your King.” 

Manny couldn’t stop himself from grinning but reassured Dany that he’d agree to her terms. They rose from their seats, and Emmanuel held out his hand. “Your Grace.” 

***

Over the next month, the two toured Westeros to introduce the new King. Manny cared little for the opinions of lesser lords that griped about Dany’s ancestry. They were going to bitch, moan, and complain until they needed something. Emmanuel personally couldn’t wait to see them on their knees, kissing Dany’s boots when it happened. However, the real challenge was getting the masses on board. 

Manny had gained tremendous favor with the public during his reign. He’d been the first king to make their needs his priority. As far as they were concerned, Manny kept their children fed, clothed, and housed. They took bringing in the Mad King’s daughter as a betrayal of the sovereign rights Manny had bestowed on them. 

Ultimately it was the unsullied and Dothraki that had changed their minds. Once skeptical of the brown foreigners, the Populus had found great respect for the newcomers. The Dothraki and unsullied vouched for the change that Daenerys had made in their lives. They had been faced with fates worse than being born in flea bottom. Still, Daenerys Targaryen gave them their freedom and preached the same self-sovereignty as Emmanuel. That, compounded with the incomparable charm and charisma that fueled her speeches, won the public over. 

There were a few minor rebellions, but nothing that Emmanuel didn’t extinguish within a day or so. Physical resistance was easy to handle, but nothing compared to politicking with the lords of the North, particularly the Starks. Robert Stark’s reign came to an unfortunate end with Walder Frey’s betrayal, leaving the North without a Warden. 

Emmanuel ignored the traditional rules of succession and bypassed Bran, to name Sansa Stark warden of the North. This was met with surprisingly little resistance as Sansa had been the savior of the battle of the bastards. Quite frankly, the entire North owed Sansa their lives and a favor. Not only did her feats in war strategy earn her The North, but she was a key figure in orchestrating the rebuild Westeros’s infrastructure. No one knew the North better than a Stark, and days being locked away in the red keep forced Sansa to read up on whatever she could find. 

She was an invaluable asset to the Kingdom, but she did not like Daenerys Targaryen in the least. While she did not directly rouse dissent, she did nothing to stop it from spreading amongst her fledglings. Rumblings of the new King were stirring up old shit like a plunger. The hate and resentment for the Targaryens wasn’t unwarranted. Dany’s father killed Sansa’s uncle and grandfather, and as far as Sansa knew, Dany’s brother had kidnapped and raped Sansa’s aunt. 

That’s why the tour was making its last stop in Winterfell before returning to King’s Landing. Emmanuel facilitated the jump from The Veil to 60 miles south of Winterfell. They would still be a day’s ride away, but Emmanuel figured it was better to be heralded than materializing hundreds of men into the middle of Winterfell unexpectedly.

Manny and Dany rode in the same horse-drawn carriage on King’s Road. Dany had been gazing out of the window before turning to Emmanuel. 

“How do we know it’s not a trap? She has every reason in the world to want me dead.”

Emmanuel sighed and palmed the nape of his neck. “Because I know Sansa. If she wants you dead, you won’t die in Winterfell.” 

Daenerys grimaced. “Where would she have me die then?” 

“Preferably somewhere thousands of miles away, months after you’ve last seen her. Sansa Stark would probably be the last person on your mind before you’d die.” 

“You seem almost enamored with the prospect of her killing me.” 

“I’m enamored with the prospect of Sansa Stark killing anyone. You have to admire how she goes about things. A deadly diplomat through and through.”

“What you’re saying sounds oddly like treason and betrayal. It’s only been a month, and you’re already plotting to take my head? I never took you for an oathbreaker.”

“I’d never harm a white hair on your head. This whole trip is to convince Sansa that she shouldn’t plot your assassination. More than that, show her who you are and what you’re about. Show her you’re not very different in the circumstances that have put you two in the same room.” 

Dany’s glare seemed to pierce right through Emmanuel, but he held her eyes nonetheless. 

“If I so much as suspect that you and your warden are conspiring against me, I will break this alliance and turn the lot of you to ashes.”

Manny huffed and leaned forward, hands clasped, elbows on his knees. “You’ll be there for almost every conversation that takes place between Sansa and me. I promise you have nothing to worry about. I won’t let her harm you, and I wouldn’t dream of hurting you. I admire and respect you. I’ve risked my life as well as my family’s life to give you Westeros. We are not two kings. We’re joined as one. Do not question my faith.”

With that, they both rode in silence until the procession stopped for the night. They separated to fume in their own tents before Emmanuel exited to gather a meal for the two. He entered her tent while the herald was halfway through his titles. She had set out a book on the histories of Westeros with another ten or twelve books stacked waiting to be scoured. Manny waited for her to acknowledge him. When she didn’t, he sighed and set the bowl in front of her before taking a seat. 

“You’re upset about earlier, which is understandable. I expressed admiration for a woman who clearly works against you. That’s on me for letting the joke go too far. However, what I’m about to tell you will only further infuriate you, and it will not be a joke. I’d prefer you ate before I told you so that I’d know you didn’t starve yourself out of spite tonight.” 

She finally looked up from her readings, jaw set and eyes blazing. 

“Speak plainly.”

“Eat, and I’ll tell you.” 

Her voice was as venomous as her glare. “How do I know you’re not going to poison me to please your warden?”

Manny answered by merely dipping a spoon into Dany’s bowl, scooping some of the contents into his own, stirring it, then gulping down the stew in his own bowl. 

Dany eyed him, then took the bowl and started eating. He looked over the particular chapter she was reading. ‘Terror and The Mad King’s Reign.’ He sat back and studied her while she continued eating, glancing at the text every once in a while. 

“You’re not like him, you know. Even if you are mad, you won’t succumb to it like he did.” 

“I suppose that depends on what you say next.”

Manny straightened up in his seat and exhaled. “Sansa Stark and I are somewhat romantically involved. It’s something that’s been going on long before our agreement. I thought you should know out of my oath of transparency and especially after what was said earlier. Also, considering I don’t intend on….withholding any natural urges while I’m there.” 

Dany offers him a bored glance before continuing to consume her food. “Oh, I’ve known of that for a while. Which is why my threat earlier stands. I didn’t come all this way to lose my kingdom to the sweet whisperings of a northern whore. I would hope you were not a man that thinks with his cock, but is there a man that doesn’t?” 

Daenerys relished the look of utter stupidity that contorted Manny’s face. His lips parted, and his jaw hung, ajar. A blush crept into his cheeks and across his forehead, and his eyebrows lifted nearly into his hairline. One blink. Two blinks. Three-Four-Five blinks. 

“Oh.” 

Daenerys fought to hold back a smile. 

“Oh?” 

Emmanuel managed to recompose himself before Dany’s amusement got the best of her. 

“I mean, I thought we were pretty discreet. I didn’t know it had got out to, well, everyone.” Emmanuel sobered up from his brief moment of embarrassment and continued. “Nonetheless, I’m not a man who,” he hesitates. “Thinks like that. My priority is to my people, my subjects, and I’ve yet to deviate from what I thought were their best interests. It’s in their best interest, and mine, that you and Sansa Stark make nice with each other.”

Dany smirked. “I’m not obligated to make nice with anyone. Sansa Stark will bend the knee and weed out northern dissent using her own resources and her own men. If she cannot do either, she will die, and I’ll see to it that you’re the one that executes her.” 

Though Emmanuel cringed at the thought, he solemnly nodded. “Aye, I’ll carry it out myself if she doesn’t come round, but she will come round. Scouts’ honor.”

Dany scowled, “What?”

He just chuckled and stood to leave. “It means I promise. Is there anything else we should discuss?” 

She yawned. “Nothing that can’t wait until morning.” 

“Then goodnight Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen,” to Dany’s annoyance, he recited all of her titles while backing out of her tent, calling out into the night as an idiot does.


	3. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kings try to find grounds for trusting each other while also seeking the Northmen’s trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is long. Sorry about the varied lengths. I don’t know what I’m doing

They arrived in Winterfell before noon. Sansa Stark, never one for impropriety, addressed Daenerys in all the same manner as Emmanuel. Arya Stark, though begrudgingly, followed suit, most likely for the sake of her sister. Jon Snow didn’t have time to properly greet Emmanuel. Emmanuel actually pulled Snow into a bear hug professing how much he missed his favorite Stark. Otherwise, Jon Snow was the perfect gentleman. Though, his lips lingered on Dany’s hand for a noticeably longer time than the others. 

“King Daenerys. King Emmanuel. It would be an honor if the two of you would join us for a feast tonight. We’ll be serving the best The North has to offer.” 

“We accept,” in unison. They had become adept at such acts over the past month. Though it did not go without practice. Tyrion had suggested synchronizing their responses to eliminate any perception of division. People needed to see them as one and not as a king and a queen to pick between. They were one will, one force, one mind, one power. They were separate of body and that’s it. Or so that’s how Tyrion thought they should play it. 

Dany and Manny were given a tour of the castle and a brief history of the Starks of Winterfell. Afterwards they were shown to their rooms and had the afternoon to themselves. Emmanuel and Sansa took the time to refamiliarize themselves with one another while Dany took lunch with Tyrion.

Dany recounted the events of the previous day, the whole time pacing about like a mad man. 

Tyrion nodded in approval. “I think I come to like him more and more each day. He reminds me a lot of, well, me.”

“You like that he chooses to bed my enemies and flaunt in my face?”

“I like that he’s honest with you. You forget that he too wears the crown and owes you no explanation. Especially in matters of sex. No, he genuinely understands the need for honesty. That can’t be said about most Kings.” 

“He doesn’t act like a king. He tosses tradition to the wind, laughs at the notion of gods, and gallavants about spouting nonsense.”

“He just fancies himself a poet.”

“Whatever.”

“Look, while I understand he’s unconventional, he seems well meaning. His lack of... kingliness is a good thing. Kings don’t leave the Red Keep to labor alongside their subjects. Kings don’t give a thought to improving the lives of the common men. Kings don’t willfully share their crown, but here he is defying all manner of tradition.”

“You sound like you love him.”

“I do. The whole of Westeros loves him. If he needs to raise an army, he doesn’t have to bat an eye in the direction of any lord. He can go to any village in any of the seven kingdoms and walk out with as many men as he wants. The commoners no longer belong to the lords. They belong to him because he loves them and they him.” 

“Alright I’ve heard enough. I know he’s a good man, but betrayal never comes from your enemies. It comes from your allies. It’s been a month, and I still know nothing about him. I’d be a fool not to mistrust him.”

“And that, Your Grace, is why we exercise caution. However, you should let me fuss over contingency plans, while you rule the kingdoms.”

***  
“I can’t trust her. Not after everything her family has done,” Sansa lamented.

Emmanuel rolled over to face Sansa. They hadn’t left bed since setting foot into the guest chambers. One thing Daenerys was right about, Sansa likes to talk politics during pillow talk. 

“You’ve been held accountable for the supposed misdeeds of your father and brother. Was that Justice?”

“My father’s misdeed was ensuring that the rightful heir to the throne succeeded Robert Baratheon.” 

“Daenerys Targaryen is the rightful heir to the Throne according to your traditions. Robert Baratheon was a usurper. But you’ve been around the block long enough to know that the rightful heir to the throne is whoever has the most men and money.”

“That’s besides the point. Her father killed innocent men and would’ve burned all of King’s Landing because of the madness that ran in his blood. How do we know Daenerys is not similarly afflicted? That she won’t go mad and depose you.” 

“Let me worry about that. You can’t judge her based on what she could do because we’re all capable of horror. You judge her on what she’s done. She’s survived being raped and widowed. She willed her khalasaar to survive heat, hunger, and thirst. Dany avenged the deaths of her people, and claimed a city as her own. She’s freed men, women, and children in the largest slave ports of the world. She ruled three cities on her own while combating dissenters. She lead the Dothraki across a sea, something that has never been done before. Daenerys fought and clawed her way back to a land where she knew she’d be rejected. Dany willed her way back here for a reason. She harbors a strength beyond men and dragons and you share that strength.”

Emmanuel’s words settled in the air between he and Sansa. She was giving his testimony some deep well meaning thought. She went to say something, but Manny cut her off.

“Save your thoughts for Daenerys. Talk to her openly and honestly after the feast tonight. There’s much you two have in common and I think you’d understand each other better if you hashed that out.”

With that, he leaned over and kissed her then rolled over and took a nap before the feast.  
***  
Surprisingly the Stark Dany most got along with was Arya. They had both ventured to the other side of the narrow sea and were hitting it off by sharing their stories about the cities of Essos. 

Daenerys arrived to the feast seemingly before Emmanuel, but once she was seated, Sansa explained that he’d gone looking for Jon Snow upon noticing his absence. A few minutes later he walked in dragging Snow with him. He pulled up a chair next to his and pushed Jon down into it. 

“Apologies for our tardiness, Your Grace. Jon wanted to brood alone in his chambers, and I just couldn’t let that happen.”

Sansa sighed at the giddiness her brother’s presence brought the king. Daenerys wondered if Manny was capable of loving Sansa as much as he loved her brother. One thing was sure, Snow, Stark, and Targaryen were weary of Manny’s endearing cheerfulness. 

The feast went as all northern feasts go, speeches, rowdy jeering, singing, overwhelming drunkenness and merriment. Emmanuel had started off a round of toasts to the Warden of the North for being a good host, then to the men he fought alongside in the Battle of the Bastards. He rounded out the toast with welcoming the newest King of Westeros. 

“And to Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, First of Her Name, Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains. For valuing the wives and children of men born to shopkeepers, miners, and lords alike. The world is a better place for your existence. I look forward to reigning alongside you for years to come. To The Redeemed!”

The men cheered, “TO THE REDEEMED!”  
Emmanuel sat down and Dany leaned over. 

“The Redeemed? When did I take that title?”

“When I just now severed your connection to your father by telling a room full of loud mouth drunks that you redeemed yourself without any track record in Westeros.” 

Daenerys sat on his words for a second. Brilliant. Tyrion was right about one thing, he never did anything without a purpose. Emmanuel leaned over to Dany.

“You should get up and go talk with them. Drink and laugh with them. Tell them a war story, about the dragons, about the dothraki. You’ve lived a hell of a life. They should know your story.”

Towards the end, he grabbed Dany’s hand and pulled her out of her seat and into the masses of people. 

Dany actually loosened up the more her cup filled. She’d become as gruff and rowdy as the northern men. She stood on top of tables and captivated the men with stories of how she fell off Drogon leagues in the air, but that he caught her before she hit the ground. She boasted about sacking cities, eating a horse’s heart, and incinerating a magi that stole her children. She was in her comfort zone. 

Emmanuel even felt comfortable enough to leave her alone. All eyes were on her, so he was able to roam from cluster to cluster picking up on the impression she was leaving. For the most part, the men were enraptured by the girl full of fire. Some, of course, made their crude jokes, but a simple clearing of Manny’s throat ceased that line of conversation amongst any group of men. 

Once he’d made his rounds, he decided to actually enjoy the festivities. He grabbed Jon Snow out of the corner he’d been sulking in and started a drinking contest. Even Sansa Stark got involved. Being the Dominican that he is, he drank the two northerners under the table. The two Starks were plastered beyond repair, and the lot of them struggled to keep their balance back to their seats. 

At some point, Emmanuel became wrapped up in a guessing game with Tyrion Lannister. A game which he was winning. 

“How do I know you’re not lying,” Tyrion slammed his mug onto the table top, “I rarely ever am off by this much.”

Manny cackled and filled Tyrion’s cup, “Little Lord Lannister, I promise you, I’m nothing you could imagine.Want another go of it?”

Tyrion leaned forward determined. “You’re damned right. Okay okay. Your father was….born a commoner.”

Manny nodded and took a swig of his mead. “I’ll give you that. Though I could argue there is no such thing as a commoner where I come from, but I’ll give you that.”

Tyrion’s eyes narrowed, “I still got something right.” 

“Aye.”

Brienne of Taarth chipped in. “Alright I want a go. You’re from...the East.”

“Take a sip.”

She does. “You’re from the west!”

Emmanuel takes a sip, “Yes, but not the west as you know it.”

Ser Bronn interjects. “What’s with the riddles? Where the hell are you from?”

Emmanuel sits back, grinning like an idiot and says, “The Dominican Republic”.

Tyrion huffs, “That’s not a real place! You’re lying.”

Emmanuel leans over the table with that same shit-eating grin, “It’s a real place. It just doesn’t exist, Lord Tyrion.” With that he grabbed Tyrion’s ale, chugged it, then did the same with his own mug. 

He stood from the table, apparently too fast because the world started spinning. He gripped the man next to him to keep his feet under him. Manny looked around for Dany and couldn’t find her. He made his way to Sansa huddled with Arya having the whisper of a lifetime. 

“Where’d King Daenerys go?”

The sisters looked between each other. Arya answered before her sister could silence her.

“She’s with Jon. They went back to her chambers.”

Oh. 

Manny simply nodded and looked back at Sansa. “And your chambers?”

“Are waiting when you’re ready.”

“I’m ready now” 

She casually followed him out, waiting until they were out of sight before getting handsy.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lords of Winterfell and the Kings of Westeros have words.

Dany woke up naked with a throbbing headache. She hissed at the sunlight peeking through the windows. For the love of God she could barely remember what happened last night. If she weren’t so groggy, she would’ve jumped out of her skin when she felt someone shift next to her. She turned over and saw a mess of curls poking out from under the covers.

No. 

Dany could not bring herself to pull back the linens. If those curls belonged to who she thought, she’d get sick before making it to the chamber pot. To her surprise the man sat up revealing his face before she could work up the courage. 

She sighed in relief. It’s just Jon Snow. Though her relief was quickly overwhelmed by embarrassment. First at letting herself get drunk enough to bed a man she didn’t know, then at how foolish she was to think that man was Emmanuel. 

Jon Snow’s cheeks were painted red as he realized what happened. 

“Your Grace, I-“

“It’s fine Jon. We were both drunk.”

“I know but-“

“But there’s no reason to dwell on it.”

Bits and pieces were coming back to Dany slowly. Now it was her turn to blush. She had a rather filthy mouth when inebriated, and if she remembered correctly so did Jon Snow. They’d both enjoyed their little tryst, but they didn’t have time to revel in what that meant. 

A familiar voice shouted through the door. 

“If you crazy kids have had enough fun, breakfast is in ten minutes. Be there or be square.” 

Jon gave Dany an inquisitive look. 

“I don’t understand half of what he says.” 

Jon grimaced then got out of bed and fetched his clothes. Daenerys did the same. They joined Manny in Sansa’s chambers for an assortment of fruits and juices provided by Winterfell’s stores. 

Dany had expected some sly remark or at the very least, a smug grin from the king, but he appeared all business. Dany had the sneaking suspicion that had something to do with the woman seated beside him. 

Emmanuel and Sansa stood, so that Dany could be seated. Manny started the conversation. 

“Based on the rounds last night, you’ve won over a significant portion of the bannermen. The entire town is chattering about you. Positive things. However, a few of the lower lords haven’t totally absolved you of the crime of being your father’s daughter. Sansa has called for a great council to hash out any reservations the remaining lords have about you.” 

Sansa continued, “Most of the lords have come around, but the stubborn ones are Lyanna Mormont and Rickard Karstark.”

Dany took a sip of pomegranate juice before proceeding. “They want something I presume. I’m willing to treat with them if their demands are within reason. Bear in mind, I expect oaths to be sworn by every lord at the end of the council. Any lord that chooses not to bend the knee will be acting out of treason. Their punishment, death, will be administered by the Lady of Winterfell. Do we have an understanding?”

Sansa and Dany locked eyes, “Your Grace, I think the King’s justice is best served by the King.”

“As Warden of Winterfell and sworn subject of the Kings, any justice you exercise is an extension of the Kings’. Am I right?”

“Of course your grace, but-“

Manny interjects, “but you’ll make sure it doesn’t come to that. We want a healthy relationship with the north, so that our less fortunate subjects may prosper like their southern brothers. Dany is part of making that happen. Surely you can bring them to see that.” 

Jon Snow needed to defend his sister, “Isn’t she already doing enough by calling the meeting? Why force her to take the life of those that have been loyal to the starks for millennia?”

Emmanuel started to answer, but Dany answered for him. “Because had Sansa done her due diligence from the beginning we wouldn’t be here negotiating with traitors. They’re her men and her responsibility,” she eyed Sansa again, “Instead we’ve had to risk dozens of men putting down squirmishes all over the north. Those men’s lives are on you, Warden.”

Sansa’s eyes had turned cold as ice. “Might I remind you of the countless Northern lives your father has taken? These men are rebelling because they don’t want a repeat of the injustices suffered during your father’s reign. Forgive me if I’m hesitant to punish them for raising legitimate concerns as to the new rulers of Westeros. That’s negating the fact that the two new kings go against every tradition their forefathers laid out. A Mad King’s daughter and a foreigner whose entrance is marked by massacring thousands of men seems an odd duo. It’s especially odd that we’re expected to submit to them without question.” 

Jon’s eyes shifted wildly between the three of them, waiting for someone to make a move and start a war. Dany and Sansa seemed moments away from doing just that, but Emmanuel’s composure remained surprisingly cool. 

He simply stood and regarded those at the table. “Sansa you’ve been given your commands. Should you deviate or not follow through, your family will be stripped of their titles and land and exiled from Westeros. House Karstark can take up your place as Wardens of the North, and Lyanna Mormont can extend her lordship to Karhold. They’ll bend the knee for such rewards. It’s up to you whether it comes to that.” With that he turned to Dany, “Lord Tyrion wishes to meet with us, Your Grace. I’ll wait for you in his quarters.” Whiskers of darkness formed around the edges of his figure before he disappeared.  
***  
“Gods, you left her there alone?!” Tyrion freaked out hearing Emmanuel recount the breakfast. “Sansa Stark is probably dead. How many wars do we have to fight before-,”

“She’s not going to kill Sansa.”

“How could you know that?” 

Dany entered the room and sat down across from Emmanuel who’d been watching Tyrion pace. Manny addressed her.

“Daenerys, did you have our host killed?”

“No, I’d rather not go to war with the North. My men need to focus on freeing those across the Narrow Sea.” 

Manny smirked at Tyrion. “That’s how I know.”

Tyrion had had enough of the two Kings.

“You two have to be more careful. You both can’t fuck the lords of winterfell then threaten to exile them the next morning. You’re mixing politics with pleasure. You’re the Kings of Westeros! What if either of you…”

Dany and Manny tuned Tyrion out. They were too old to be lectured. Honestly, the only reason Tyrion hadn’t been seized and thrown into a cell was probably because both of them had gotten laid the night before. 

Dany butt in. “Tyrion we’re sorry. Now can we discuss the council meeting coming up?” 

He sighed clearly disappointed that his point didn’t get across. “I’m simply saying that you two are walking a dangerous path. Jeopardizing your relationship with one of your strongest allies isn’t the best strategy for this to work.”

“Well good thing dangerous is my middle name.”  
Manny beamed at his own snide remark while Tyrion looked to Dany for an explanation. Dany shrugged and mouthed an ‘I don’t know.’ 

“Right, so about the meeting....”

***


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Northern Lords are being difficult. Sansa and Emmanuel have a difficult conversation.

Arya, Dany, Sansa, Emmanuel, and Jon Snow sat at the front of the room as Lords and Ladies filed in and found their seats. A herald announced their titles as they entered. The party made note of Lyanna Mormont and Rickard Karstark. 

Sansa Stark rose from her seat and began the proceedings. “Lords and ladies of the North, we’ve gathered you all here to welcome the new king, in addition to Emmanuel Charles, Daenerys Targaryen.” The crowd remained silent, so Sansa continued. “There has been some men of the North who have been less than kind about our new Monarch. Men who have caused strife within their own homes and have lashed out against their own countrymen. Thankfully, our graces have decided to absolve the Northmen of any wrongdoing. They understand this is a time of adjustment, thus all crimes against the crown will be forgiven upon each lord bending the knee.”

The lords for the most part let out an “Aye,” in agreement, but Lyanna Mormont stood to give her piece. 

“House Mormont has never bowed to a foreign king before King Emmanuel, but he proved to be a man of great integrity with pure intentions for the North and her interests. Now that he’s seated a Targaryen on the throne, I see him for what he is. He’s a traitor and an oathbreaker. He swore to protect our families, provide work for our men, and prepare us for winter’s coming. He promises these things then cedes power to the daughter of a man that stripped us of our most basic liberties. A man that stained the earth with our forefathers’ blood. A man that murdered your grandfather and uncle, Lady Stark. Yet you ask us here to bend the knee to the Mad Princess. House Mormont will not betray the legacy of our forefathers for these false kings.”

Rickard Karstark rose. “Aye, and neither will House Karstark”

The room burst into a murmur. Men were shifting about, uncomfortable with where this conversation was headed. Sansa held up a hand to silence the Lords. 

“You accuse our King of betrayal and oath breaking. I would like to know which of the promises you named, King Emmanuel has broken. From what I’ve seen, Westeros has not known such prosperity in centuries. Tell me, have the wells run dry? Are beggars’s bellies not full? Do your men not have work? We haven’t gone to war; our harvests have been in surplus; fewer men have raped our daughters. All of these things have happened because of King Emmanuel. There’s nay a man or woman in Westeros whose life hasn’t improved since King Emmanuel’s ascension. You call him an oath breaker and a traitor. Well I call you a liar.”

The two women stared each other down until Emmanuel intervened. 

“Lady Mormont, You’ve spewed falsehoods about my reign in an attempt to discredit my sincerity for bettering Westeros. I’ve done everything I’ve promised and then some. Your true quarrel is with the histories of men long ago buried,” Manny’s eyes swept the room to hold the other lords attention. “Many of your reservations about Daenerys stem from her father’s reign. The actions of Aerys Targaryen were abominable and unjust, but Daenerys should not be held accountable for the madness of a man she’s never met. I assure you, the only thing shared between the two is blood and a house name. Daenerys has saved the lives of more men and women than her father has taken. She’s more than compensated for the legacy of her father, and for that she’s proven herself an honorable leader.”

Manny made eye contact with Dany whom he couldn’t quite read, but he continued. 

“I’m not asking you to bend the knee to a Targaryen heir. You all know I have little respect for names and tradition. I place my faith in those that have proven themselves virtuous and reputable. I believe in the actions of those that sacrifice themselves for the greater good. I believe in Daenerys Targaryen because she is irrefutably a trueborn king, not of name, not of blood, but of heart, mind, and soul.” 

The room stood still for a moment as the Lords of the North let Emmanuel’s words sink in. This time when Manny and Dany’s eyes met, Daenerys nodded her thanks. 

Lord Forrester was the first to rise from his seat. He approached Dany, drew his sword, and laid it at her feet. He knelt on one knee and began reciting the pledge of fealty. One by one the lords of the North lined up to bend the knee before Daenerys. The only two houses that didn’t bend the knee were Mormont and Karstark. 

For that, Dany dismissed every lord but those two. “Lady Mormont and Lord Karstark come forward.” Though the two had yet to recognize her as King, they weren’t stupid enough to defy her in a room full of her men. 

Dany confronted the two. “You’re running short on options my lords. I’d like to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship between us, but if we cannot come to an agreement, you and your houses will perish. Now, what do you seek for pledging fealty.”

Lyanna and Rickard hadn’t been expecting this. Any other monarch would have skipped any form of negotiation and gone straight to execution. As of now the two Lords were committing treason, and no one would truly resist at their deaths. 

Lyanna Mormont took a gander at Emmanuel then addressed Daenerys. “I want Bear Island to be the first consideration for the capital’s timber needs for the remainder of reconstruction.”

Dany nodded and looked to Rickard Stark. “I wish for Lady Stark to wed my son Harald.” 

A smirk seemed to form on Emmanuel’s face until Sansa spoke up. “A union between Harald and I would earn your fealty to King Daenerys?”

“Yes”

Without so much as a blink she accepted the proposal. 

Emmanuel’s lips parted and his face turned ashen. Daenerys looked to Manny equally shocked before both lords bent the knee and swore their lives to Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen. 

The lords departed and Sansa stood to leave.   
***  
Emmanuel jumped into Sansa’s room sometime after midnight. He’d always struggled with restlessness, but the events of today had his mind racing and he needed to hash out his feelings.

He moved to Sansa’s bed and laid down. Her eyes slowly opened. “Manny?” 

“Yeah, it’s me.” 

“What are you doing here? What time is it?”

Emmanuel rolled onto his side to face Sansa. He palmed her cheek to rub his thumb over her cheekbones.

“You’ve told me no so many times, but another man’s father asks for your hand and you accept. Is there something you’re not telling me?” 

“Nothing is going on. It just made sense.”

The King moved to sit up, kneeling so that he could rest on his haunches. Sansa sat up as well, back leaning against the headboard. 

“How does it make sense to wed a man you don’t love?”

“I could grow to love him.” 

Manny looked away, trying to hide his hurt. Silence thickened the air between them. 

“You would be Queen if you married me.”

“And I would have to leave Winterfell and rescind my title of Warden. I don’t want that, no matter how much I’d like to be your wife.” 

“You’d rather remain Warden of the North than be Queen of Westeros?”

“Yes. This is my home. These are my people. What does being Queen even mean under your new ‘joint monarchy’?” 

“I don’t know, but we can figure it out Sansa. The Northmen will still be your people, and Winterfell will still be your home no matter your title.”

“I just don’t want that, Emmanuel! You’re asking me to give up everything I’ve fought for since leaving King’s Landing. You’re asking me to return to the place I watched my father die and make it my home. I can’t and I won’t do it.”

Emmanuel let her words stick. The intensity in Sansa’s eyes told him she wouldn’t back down. 

“Do you love me at all?”

Sansa brushed the hair back from his forehead. “Yes. More than you know.”

Manny huffed through his nose. He believed her, but that seemed to make it worse. 

“When will you be wed?”

“A fortnight from today.” 

Emmanuel grimaced as he accepted his defeat. Sansa cradled his cheek, leaned in, and kissed him. He pulled her closer deepening the kiss, but when she moved to straddle him, he broke the kiss. He held her there, using his thumb to rub circles on her inner thigh. 

“I won’t risk starting a war for a night of heat. We should be thanking God we haven't already produced Winterfell's heir.” 

“Yeah well, it wasn’t for lack of trying.” 

Their laughter broke some of the tension between them. He loved how bright her eyes got on the rare occasion she found amusement, and she loved the dimples in his cheeks that deepened when his laughter approached uncontrollable. 

Emmanuel softly pecked her lips before rolling her onto her back and hovering over her.

“Anything you want or need for the wedding, just ask for it. If you need help with anything, I’m at your service. Even if you need me to pick flowers or sew dresses, I’m willing to help.”

“Thank you. I’ll remember to tell my mother to summon you should she need help sewing.” 

Another laugh, another kiss, another goodbye, and Emmanuel jumped back to his room, lonelier than he felt before.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yall come get yall juice.

“Your Grace requests your presence...Your Grace.” 

The messenger still hadn’t got used to referring to two people as “Your Grace.” He seemed utterly befuddled at the notion because one wasn’t supposed to summon the king, but what do you do when there are two Kings that wish to speak? 

Anyways, Manny took the message and decided to jump directly into Dany’s room. He wasn’t sure if she’d meant to be in her current state when she summoned him, but nonetheless Emmanuel wasn’t expecting to see an indecent Daenerys. 

He managed to dribble an “uhhhh,” before turning his back on Daenerys to give her her privacy and hide the redness blooming across his cheeks. His voice came out a mirrored squeak of its normalcy. “You needed something Your Grace?”

Daenerys didn’t want to out right laugh, but she did anyway. She’d been bathing when His Grace decided to pop in. She’d told him about entering normally before, and now he had to suffer the consequences of gazing upon her nude body. 

She managed to choke out a response. “Your Grace, have you never seen a naked woman before?”

Emmanuel swallowed. “Not without her permission.”

Dany took a sip of wine. “You’re more modest than your predecessors...and you have my permission to look at me. For gods sake you’re not a boy.” 

He turned around but seemed to find an interest in everything but Dany. She dipped her head beneath the water’s surface to rinse the soap from her hair. When she came back up she stood revealing her full form, garnering Manny’s full attention. 

Grass is green. The sky is blue. Daenerys Targaryen is beautiful. These are simple truths that people didn’t question because they’d seen it with their own eyes. Few could attest to seeing Dany naked though. Even so, those same few would regard her beauty as being a thousand fold when she was bare.

This time Dany blushed. She expected Emmanuel to shy away from the sight of her, but he studied her figure unapologetically. His gaze moved higher to meet her eyes and remained there unflinching.

Dany gestured for her maiden to help her out of the water and begin drying her off. The process only took a few moments but felt like ages. All conversation had ceased between the two Kings leaving a remarkable tension. 

Manny cleared his throat, “What did you need?”

“Oh, I wanted to know if you wanted to work with the common folk today. I think it’d be good for morale and solidifies our relationship with Winterfell.” 

She finally slipped on a gown then sat down to get her hair braided. 

“Yeah, that sounds nice. Working in the forges would keep me busy. No use in moping around….What would you do?” 

Dany broke into a grin. “Well, I’ll work the forges with you! I could stand to learn metal working for the sake of my Kingdom.”

Manny cracked a smile. “That’ll be the talk of the town. Let me get dressed and I’ll meet you in the courtyard. Oh, wear men’s clothes. Don’t want anything catching fire.” With that he disappeared.

Dany, asked her maidens to retrieve the men’s clothes as Manny had suggested, but the task proved a bit more difficult than expected. Not many men were as small as Dany, so they ended up borrowing the suit of a squire and paid him handsomely for the inconvenience. 

She met Manny in the courtyard dressed in a pants, boots, and mailed shirt. Manny chuckled.

Daenerys raised an eyebrow, “Whats funny?”

“Nothing.”

Dany rolled her eyes having become accustomed to Manny’s foolishness. 

She looked up to see Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viseryion chasing each other through the clouds. She missed her children, but she had business to attend to on the ground. She decided to take time out to feed and care for them later. 

The Kings walked side by side through Winterfell making casual conversation with each other. They even stopped to talk to some of the common folk along the way. The people seemed to take to Dany effortlessly, especially after their lords bent the knee to her. 

Dany had a knack for making the lowest of men feel like they were the center of her world. Even if it were for a few moments, they thought she was swayed by their testimonies. It’d honestly be hard to prove she wasn’t. Dany had her fingers on the common people’s pulse, and every decision she made was to strengthen that pulse. 

They made it to the forges and asked if the shopkeeper needed any help. He said yes, but he was shocked when the kings picked up tools and started getting handy. Daenerys learned quickly how to melt and pour a mold. However, her real talent was picking up flaming steel with her bare hands. The blacksmith marveled at her fire resistant abilities. She was of dragon’s blood after all. 

Emmanuel surprisingly made beautiful weapons. He even invented a few that Westeros had never seen. Of course he sort of cheated, but that made no difference to the soldiers coming by to try his new weapons. 

They filled the smithshop with banter and laughter. The blacksmith, Henry, said it was the best business he’d seen in years. By mid afternoon Dany and Manny decided they needed to mingle amongst the other people. They left the smithshop and popped from shop to shop buying sweets and toys for the children and cloth and bread for their parents. 

The two made it back to Dany’s chambers feeling better than they had in a while. 

Dany reclined onto her bed then turned her head to look at Manny. “Now I see why you mingle amongst them.” 

Emmanuel has taken a seat by the fireplace, holding his hands to the flames to warm up.

“If you show them love, they’ll return it ten fold. This one day of flattery will make it easier to ask these men to risk their lives to free foreigners. Two days of this and there’ll be no hesitation. Three? Four days of this? They’ll swear their lives and their sons’ lives to our cause. When you claim them as your brothers and their sons as your sons you must mean it.” 

Dany purses her lips then flit her eyes over to the window. “You’ve given quite a bit of thought to this.” 

Manny snickered, “You thought I was a dimwit.” 

Dany joined in the laughter. “Aye.” 

They had a moment then Dany grew solemn. “I know nothing about you, yet I’ve decided to rule my kingdom with you. How am I to trust a man I don’t know?”

Manny twisted in his seat to look back at her, then dragged his chair to her bedside. “What would you like to know, Daenerys?”

She sat up, so she could look into his eyes. “Why did you take the throne?”

“I wanted it.”

Dany’s brows furrowed and her lips turned into a sneer. “As do most men.” 

Manny rubbed his temples and huffed. “I wish I wasn’t like most men, but I am.”

Her eyes narrowed, but she continued. “Where did you come from?”

He looks to be in deep thought. Daenerys is appalled at his struggle to answer such a simple question. “The simplest answer? West of Westeros.”

“You’re lying. No one has been west of Westeros.”

“I’m not lying. You’re just not asking the right questions.”

Dany’s grimace deepened the wrinkles around her eyes. 

“Tell me about your magic.”

“Well-"

Before he could answer there’s a knock on the door. Manny beckons them to enter and a messenger announces that Sansa requests their presence.

Manny tensed up and his frown deepened.

Dany took a step towards him. “What is it?”

He looked to her. “I reckon we’ve a visit with Jon Snow.” He followed the messenger out the door with Dany on his heels.


	7. Chapter 7

When Jon Snow had finished explaining why the Wildlings were residing in Winterfell, everyone burst out laughing except for Emmanuel.

Snow grew red in the face while everyone got their laughs. 

Emmanuel interrupted their ribbing. “I’ll leave for the capital tomorrow morning. We need to head to Dragonstone to mine obsidian.”

Dany looked appalled. “You can’t actually believe this.”

“I do. I know for a fact that he isn’t lying.”

“How could you possibly know?”

“Because I do“

Sansa sighed. “Are you two absolutely sure? I can’t just ask men to fight a fairytale their fathers passed down from their fathers.” 

Jon Snow looked to Emmanuel who shrugged. “Jon do you think we can go up there and nab one of these puppies?”

Jon looked off as he considered the logistics. “It’d be difficult and extremely dangerous. There’s never just one of them and we’re liable to be overrun if we get near them.”

“I can just pop us in and out.”

“The hard part is finding them-“

Dany interjects. “Just the two of you can’t go north of the wall looking for white walkers.”

Her eyebrows had woven together as her eyes darted between the two men. Emmanuel huffed and put his hands on his hips. 

“You all don’t even believe it. Sansa’s right, we can’t ask men to fight a fairytale. Jon and I will bring back evidence and the lords can decide how much they value their people.”

Sansa glances between the two Kings. “What do you expect of me?” 

Dany and Manny shared a meaningful look before Dany started. “Evacuate all northern cities to Winterfell. We’ll need all of our forces concentrated here, so this’ll be the safest place. Have all of their food stores and water brought here.” She turned to look at Manny. “We’ll have the miners ready by the time you get back and a lords’ council meeting set for two days from now.”

Emmanuel smiled and turned to Jon Snow. “Snow get your shit and your best men together. We’re going on a field trip.”   
***  
They were on the worst field trip ever. Emmanuel hadn’t been prepared for just how cold northern winter nights were. Even Jon made some gruff comment about it being colder than usual to which Samwell replied, “It’s the Night King. There hasn’t been a winter this cold since the first men fought The Others.” 

Manny’s face twisted up in frustration. “Just our luck that Jaime Lannister is churning dirt right when we need a Kingslayer.” 

Chuckles went around, warming the men for a brief moment. The next morning they got an early start descending into the frozen valley. In the distance, Edd spotted a commander and a dozen or so walkers. Emmanuel grabbed a sac, told the boys he’d be back and jumped to the back of the herd of white walkers. He kicked the legs from under a straggler, but apparently, he made too much noise because half of the herd turned on him. 

His eyes widened and he drew his sword. Jon saw all this and readied his men to charge into the fray. Things got out of hand quickly, so before the rest of the men met the walkers, Emmanuel jumped to them and began dropping them back at Winterfell. The last man he grabbed was Jon and he struggled a bit. 

Once he was jumped to Winterfell he berated Emmanuel. 

“What are you doing?! We need one of them!”

Manny didn’t reply, but disappeared again.   
***  
Jon was met by Daenerys and Sansa demanding to know what was going on. Jon explained all that had gone down. 

Sansa looked around at the men. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know. He jumped again without saying anything.”

Sansa’s eyes widened. “You don’t know? You left him by himself?”

“He didn’t give me a choice . He grabbed me, brought me here, and left again.” 

They bickered for a while until Dany stepped in. 

“There’s no use in arguing now. What’s done is done.” She looked to Jon. “We still need to prep miners for Dragonstone.”

Sansa uttered in disgust, “How can you be so nonchalant about our King being missing?” 

“Because he’s coming back and you still have orders.”

“I can’t imagine you being displeased with Emmanuel’s disappearance.”

Jon intervened. “Sansa that’s enough.” 

Sansa’s jaw clenched and she stormed off, wiping her cheek.  
***  
Manny hadn’t returned the night before and the council meeting started soon. 

Dany became riddled with anxiety the longer he remained absent. She’d secured her crown and throne but that was based on Manny’s credibility and reputation. If something were to happen to him so soon, she’d undoubtedly be questioned for his disappearance. Her reign would be- is at stake with Emmanuel gone. 

She paced the floor of her chambers, wringing her hands as she shared these thoughts with Missandei.

“Your Grace, I can’t tell you that King Emmanuel will return, but I know whatever happens, you’ll be prepared. You’ve conquered worse men than the lords of Westeros to win back your crown. You’ll fight fiercely to defend it.” 

“That’s not all I’m worried about. What if his brother decides to seize the throne for himself? He commands the most powerful army in all of Westeros and wields the Lords’ support. I’ll fight fiercely, but I’ll lose.”

“Dragon’s’ blood runs through your veins. Your children will protect you at all costs. You won’t lose a war.” 

Dany sighed and embraced Missandei. 

“Thank you.”

Someone entered to let them know the council meeting would begin soon. The two women were met in the hallway by Dany, Sansa, and Emmanuel’s advisors before proceeding to the founders’ hall.


	8. Chapter 8

The northerners argued amongst themselves about their King’s absence. They grilled Sansa and Dany with questions neither of them had the answers to. Tensions were getting feverish when the doors to the hall opened. 

The hall quieted down as Emmanuel and his brother, Arturo, carried in a locked chest and set it down in the middle of the room. He straightened up and walked over to Dany and Sansa. 

Sansa’s shoulders relaxed and the creases of worry disappeared.

Manny seemed no worse for wear. He was noticeably rugged but other than that he seemed unscathed. 

He and Arturo unlocked the chest and dumped it out. A humanoid creature emerged and began to charge the nearest lord. Manny took hold of its leash and yanked it backward. Once he seemed to win the struggle, he passed the leash to Arturo. 

He walked to the center of the room, pushed the hair out of his face, and huffed. “This, my Lords, is one of a hundred thousand creatures that are marching on Westeros.”

The creature snarled and lunged at Dany and Sansa. Arturo snatched it back. He was growing tired of restraining it. 

“The fear and uncertainty you feel now, let that drive you in the upcoming weeks as we prepare for battle. Let that inspire your men in the forges to carve stone and steel faster than their forefathers. Let it guide your military training. Let it quicken the feet of your wives and children as they stream to Winterfell.” 

He took a moment to take in the reactions of the room. He commanded the attention of most lords, and the ones whose eyes weren’t on him, were on the creature. 

Manny withdrew a blade that hung from his side. Arturo let the creature go, and before it could kill anyone, Emmanuel cut it down with an obsidian blade. He turned back to address the crowd.

“You see they aren’t invincible, but they can only be killed with Valyrian steel, obsidian, or,” he pauses to turn to Dany, “with Fire. Dragonstone sits atop a mountain of Dragon Glass. Gather your miners and report them here within a day.” 

Lyanna Mormont spoke up. “How do you expect us to fight off a hundred thousand of these beasts? We don’t have a hundred thousand men between the lot of us.”

Sansa and Emmanuel looked to Dany. She cleared her throat and began. “We’ll extend such demonstrations to the south and garner the support of southern lords. Between them and the King’s army that will march here, we’ll be more than evenly matched.”

Manny grinned making his dimples deepen. “ We have three dragons on our side. Fire destroys them completely. We have the upper hand because we have time to prepare.”

Sansa added, “You’ve all been given your instructions. The fate of Winterfell isn’t at stake. Nor Karhold. Not Bear Island, but the entirety of man. Fight for your mothers, your sisters, your wives, your daughters. Fight with your brothers, your father’s, your sons.”

The gruff northern men let out an astounding hurrah then dispensed out of the hall to act out their kings’ orders. The only ones left were the kings, warden, and their advisors. 

When the last man was gone, Emmanuel dropped to his haunches then laid out on his back. Exhaustion finally caught up to him. 

Jon Snow got up and went to stand over him. Jon gave Manny the talking to of a lifetime. Had it been anyone else they’d be jailed, but Manny laid there and listened to every word. When Jon finished, Sansa and Dany took their turns. He had no rebuttal, just a snide remark. 

“I’m so sorry, my lords. I have no clue what madness befell me.”  
***   
Emmanuel knocked on Sansa’s door and waited. Her maiden opened the door a sliver then permitted him to enter. Sansa looked up from her readings and her eyebrows furrowed. Before she could scold him, Manny kissed her. She placed her hands on his chest intending to deny him but ended up clutching his shirt in her fists. 

They backed up towards the bed letting their lips lock, pulling away to discard their clothing. Sansa kissed his bare chest. He guided her onto the bed and moved between her legs kissing her inner thigh. 

After hours, they laid in bed recovering from their trysts. 

“What happened to not risking a war?”

His eyes met hers. 

“We’re going to die anyways. I won’t spend my last days avoiding you.”

Sansa sat up tugging the comforter to her chest. 

“You sounded so sure we could win.” 

“I didn’t say that. These things….they’re strong as any man and hard as hell to kill. Even if we’re matched in numbers, we’re outmatched in will.”

“Why didn’t you tell them? They need to know what they’re getting into.”

“If they think we’re not going to win then we’ve already lost.”

Sansa sat back against the headboard lost in her own thoughts. 

“You’ve got to tell Daenerys.”

“I don’t have to tell her. She already knows. You’re not the only one that talks pillow politics.” 

Her eyebrow raised. 

“Are you bedding her?”

Emmanuel cracked a smile that turned into a snicker. 

“No, your brother is though. Jon Snow doesn’t know how to lie. They’re probably somewhere in this castle having the same conversation we’re having now.”  
***   
“How can you be sure?”

Jon huffed and rolled onto his side to face Dany. 

“You haven’t seen them fight in a band. The way they overran the wildling encampment….it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. Every man we lose is a man they gain. How can we compete with that?”

Dany cupped his cheek and held his gaze. “We face them without fear and without worry. We face them knowing we’re the line of defense between life and death.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So how's the quarantine? Hope you guys are staying safe.

The next day came and Emmanuel spent his morning jumping between Winterfell and King's Landing. When he returned from the capital, he had forty thousand men at his back.

Earlier that morning Manny jumped two thousand or so men to Dragonstone to begin the mining process. A few hundred of his men were teaching new techniques to mine the dragon glass faster. Every few hours Manny would jump back to haul a load to Winterfell. 

Dany decided to head up weapons training with Arturo. She was surprisingly fit for battle. Her days as Khaleesi had hardened her even though the dothraki style of battle didn’t quite align with her subjects. She struggled to find an adequate sparring partner as everyone refused to harm the queen. It wasn’t until Arturo offered his services that she was challenged . 

Artie took a dig at her and found himself face first in the dirt, but he kicked his feet out and landed upright again. 

“Nice Jab, But can you dodge this?” 

He lunged forward, feigned a strike then whipped around and knocked her with the flat of his blade. Dany brushed herself and got up with a devilish smirk. The two went toe to toe matching each other’s intensity. They exchanged blows, dodge for dodge. Emmanuel popped in to see Arturo knock Dany to the ground, then Dany swept his legs from under him. Artie swung his arm out to pin her but she threw her legs over her head to roll out of the way. Dany flopped onto Arturo and pressed her knee and blade into his neck. 

Arturo tapped out, and Emmanuel began to applaud. Dany slid off of him and helped him off the ground. Artie was a good sport about it, but his brother ribbed him nonetheless. 

Dany came to her sparring partner’s defense. “I don’t see you out here training with the lot of us. You’re too busy prancing about the castle.” 

A number of ohs and oos came from the gathered men. 

“I don’t need to train with you all. I need a challenge.”

Dany predatorily circled him, sizing him up. She stepped back and leveled her sword at his throat. 

“Then consider yourself challenged.”

More oos more ohs. 

Manny scoffed, running his tongue along the inside of his bottom lip. He walked over to a pile of discarded swords and picked his weapon. He returned, rolling his shoulders getting rid of the tightness in his muscles. 

“Take your best shot Khaleesi.”

Dany immediately cocked back her fist and followed through by connecting with Emmanuel’s jaw. He stumbled backwards, shocked and holding his jaw. Dany smirked, turned her body sideways, and held up her sword. 

Emmanuel’s face twisted up into a sneer. He couldn’t even hear the jeers coming from the crowd. He lunged forward battering Dany with a series of blows. She parried most of them except the last that knocked her back into the crowd. Then the men pushed her into the center of the circle to meet Manny again. 

This time she took the offensive. Dany danced and whipped about attacking Manny from all angles. He struggled to keep up, and ended up tripping over his own feet. When he hit the ground, Dany brought the hilt of her sword down towards his head, but he rolled out of the way and she tumbled to the ground. 

Manny charged her, but Dany threw her legs up, using his momentum to launch Manny over her. The two Kings kicked up dirt and dust scrambling to grab their weapons. Once they were both upright, they continued to trade off punches and jabs. Their swords glanced off each others’; the sound of clashing metal echoed through Winterfell. Neither had noticed, but the crowd had grown exponentially. 

This was no longer a friendly sparring. This was a battle of wills. Men began placing bets all to the ignorance of their Kings. They grew rowdier as they now had a stake in the outcome of the fight. Cheers became instructions, criticisms, and taunts. 

The two opponents were growing tired and were just waiting for the other to muck up. The opportunity came when Manny went for Dany’s sword after disarming her. She kicked it away into the crowd then proceeded to climb onto Manny’s back and embrace him with a chokehold. 

He clawed at her arms but she seemed impervious to the lesions he left on her skin. Her grip tightened. Manny resorted to falling backwards to lean his entire body weight onto her. She let go, and he scrambled to reverse their positions so as to lock Dany between his arms and legs. She struggled hard. Dany bit, scratched, and elbowed him to get away, but Manny’s hold withstood. 

“Tap out.”

Dany struggled more. 

“Give up.”

She didn’t. 

“Surrender!”

Dany managed to reach up and claw Manny across the face. He let go, and she kicked him away from her. The two Kings sat there in the dirt, drained and exhausted. Dany laid back, eyes closed, gasping air into her oxygen deprived lungs. Emmanuel was in much the same state. Sweat dripped down his nose and pooled in the dirt between his legs. The clearing was dead silent except for the kings’ panting. 

After a few minutes the silence was broken by Manny erupting into laughter. He turned and looked at Dany who was trying not to throw a fit of her own. She let out a faint chuckle, but no one would’ve heard it over his guffawing. 

Emmanuel got up and dusted himself up before walking over and giving Dany a hand. He held out his hand. She grasped it and pulled herself up. Manny stared down at the woman that gave him a run for his money. He was smiling like an idiot, but Dany couldn’t help but return the gesture. 

Their hands lingered in each others’ for a moment longer than was wise before the yelling and fighting broke out. Men were arguing over who won the fight to collect their winnings. Verbal spats turned to physical squabbles. Dany and Manny hastily began giving out orders to their generals to break it up. Arturo began pushing men apart. It took awhile for the clearing to settle down, but the men were reprimanded and sent back to work. 

Manny finally turned to Dany again. “I have to get back to Dragonstone.” 

Dany simply nodded and took her place amongst the men again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Battle of Winterfell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hope y’all staying safe now that the world’s ending.

Manny moaned and pulled Sansa closer to him. The room was silent except for their panting. Manny sat up with Sansa in his arms and kissed her longingly. 

Reports had been coming in telling of the white walkers’ progression. They’d be in Winterfell sometime before dawn the next day. Men were either getting drunk, spending their last moments with family, or fucking. Sansa had decided on the latter and found Emmanuel as soon as the arrival time was known. They’d sweated the afternoon out and now the sun was setting on the day and possibly their lives. 

Manny withdrew from Sansa’s lips and combed his fingers through her hair. “If something happens to me-“

“Don’t.”

“-I’ve named you my successor.”

Sansa’s eyebrows lowered over her eyes and her nostrils flared. She looks for any sign of a lie in Manny’s eyes. She found none. “But why?”

“I trust you to rule as I have. I trust you and Dany to do the right thing for Westeros. No one would oppose the crown with you two defending it.” 

“Daenerys and I don’t see eye to eye on anything, let alone how to rule Westeros.”

“Good, the council can meet you two in the middle. That’d be best for Westeros anyways.”

“You can’t possibly believe that.”

He kissed her. “I do.” 

Sansa leaned in and rested her forehead on his shoulder. “I’m not ready for something like that, and I told you before, I won’t leave the North.” 

Manny sighs. “Sansa no one is ever ready to rule. It’s hard and there’s no way to prepare for it, but you have the head and the heart for it. You love the North and everyone in it, but when you rule the south you’ll realize a man is a man and a woman is a woman regardless of where they’re born. You’ll want to make sure their children are fed and their sons don’t die at war. You’ll come to love everyone in the 7 kingdoms because they’ll be yours to rule.”

They gazed into each other’s eyes. Sansa’s cheek rested in Manny’s palm. Her eyes watered, but the tears never grew heavy enough to fall. 

A knock on the door interrupted their moment. They were being called to duty before their certain death that night.   
***   
The Night King killed Viseryion thousands of feet in the air. The creature wailed as it dropped out of the sky with Emmanuel on his back. Manny fought against the air resistance to crawl down the creature’s neck and remove the spear, but the dive was too steep. He ended flying off of the creature and flailing through the air. Manny saw Viseryion impact the ground, breaking his neck. Manny jumped to the ground and landed amongst a mass of soldiers that had met the white walker front line. 

He tumbled head over heels before coming to a stop. A man stopped for a moment to see the King rise to his feet, but that cost him his life. In the next instant glistening steel pierced his throat, and he gargled his own blood. Emmanuel snatched the obsidian lance the man dropped and ran his assailant through. 

He scavenged for a sword and shield before charging towards the front lines. He struggled against the barrage of dead men while standing side by side with his subjects. Seeing their King fight alongside them gave the men a well needed morale boost. For a few moments they seemed to be overtaking death.   
***  
Daenerys had no time to weep for her fallen child. She held on tight as Drogon maneuvered through the air to dodge the projectiles hurdling towards them. Jon’s face was pale and sickly from Rhaegal’s motions. The dragons were so preoccupied with dodging artillery that they weren’t able to assault the army of undead. The surrounding circle of dead constricted Winterfell’s forces as a result. 

Dany patted Drogon on the neck and he tilted into a spinning dive. Drogon unleashed a blazing inferno onto the dead army. Dany remained unscathed by the flames, but she struggled to keep her grip on while the dragon spun. She was thrown from Drogon’s back and sailed laterally for a few seconds before hurdling toward the ground. Tears formed from the wind whipping into her face. Dany didn’t scream; she just closed her eyes and let things be. In the next moment her feet were being planted on the ground as she opened her eyes to see Manny setting her down. 

He stooped down to grab a sword and thrust it into her hand. “Fight better than you fly.” He stormed off to help push back the horde. Dany hacked away at the dead men matching the banner men stroke for stroke, step for step. No matter their efforts the horde continued to press forward. At some point she found herself next to greyworm, and gave the order. “FALL BACK BEHIND THE TRENCH.”

GreyWorm didn’t hesitate a moment before commanding his troops to set fire to the trenches and retreat. Dany was the last person to fallback, walking straight through the flames untouched. The battle had broken for a moment. Behind the wall of fire stood white walkers a hundred deep in every direction. The only thing preventing their advance was the blazing trench. 

Men caught their breath, units reformed, and some fell to theirs knees whimpering to the gods for another sunrise. Someone yelled and caught everyone’s attention. A walker moved forward and laid directly over the coals. Then another and another. They were building a bridge. 

Manny radioed Arturo, “How much ammo do you have made?” 

Two thousand.

“Now’s the time to bring it out.”

Copy.

Dany gave the orders for the men to retreat behind the gate. When they had done so, a unit of twenty men came forward and lined up single file. They each had a hundred Valyrian steel bullets, and as the walkers began to pour over their fallen, the men released round after round into the crowd. This pushed the walkers back, but when the last man was empty, it only took a few seconds for the invasion to begin again.

From the top of the battlements, lit arrows and Molotov’s flew like crazy. Oil was being poured down the sides and set a fire. Still the doors to Winterfell were knocked down and whites flowed in. 

Daenerys and Emmanuel stood shoulder to shoulder surrounded by whites. They slashed and thrust and jabbed with everything they had. Manny struggled to pull his sword from the eye socket of a white when another stepped up and sliced a gash across his rib cage. Dany retaliated, but received a blow of her own across the hip. Both Kings had fallen to their knees, but kept cutting down whites until there was no way to avoid death. 

Then the whites collapsed. Every single one clattered to the ground. Manny and Dany knelt there weakly holding their swords up in case this was a trick. 

Dany heard some whooping and hollering start up, and looked over at Emmanuel. He was laid out on his back, unconscious. Dany struggled to her feet using her sword for support. Ser Jorah found her and rushed over. He slipped her arm over his shoulder and wrapped his arm around her waist. Dany pointed behind her. 

“Emmanuel, get him some help.” 

Several men rushed to the King’s side lifted him up. Dany watched them carry him inside before she surrendered her own consciousness.

**Author's Note:**

> So initially this was going to be the second part of a three part series. But here's the thing, I started writing more of the second part than the first and now I don't feel like writing the first. You guys read these first few chapters and tell me if you need that first part, bc it is partially written, I just don't want to finish.


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